St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-06-04
THE POLITICAL SITUATION.
Webster Tribune,

corporations anu WOHopoiieS WHO con
| troll the State and Legislature for sell
fish purposes to the detriment of the
people and Democratic party. No fair
and unbiased man having the good of
| the State at heart can fail to see and
| ack knowledge that this is true, and that
it presents an alarming condition of af-
fairs to both the party and State. For
proof we cite few eases:
| First stands, the Louisiana Lottery
Co., relict of Radicalism, which has
bribed Legislatures, debauched public
| conscience and detied public sentiment.
A bill once passed the lower house of
| the Legislature to repeal this Infamous
| gambling monopoly and the vote on its
repeal was a tie in the Senate when
| McEnery cast the deciding vote in IA
yor of the Lottery,
The Penitentiary lease has been fos-
tered by the Administration. The
| State leases out the convcts for a
nominal amount and pays the lessee
| back ten times that amount for work
done by the convicts on levees, &c.
| Under the present lease system the
| death rate of the convicts is enormous,
showing that they are cruelty treated.
The Administration has been so eX-
travagant that the 6 mill rate of State
| taxation has not supplied our demands
| which caused the Administration to
have the rate of taxation increased,
but in this they failed.
The Administration submitted to the
| people and had counted in by fraud, an
amendment increasing the interest on
the State debt, which cost the State an
additional sum of $4,000 annually.
This act alone is enough to cause the
people to demand the retirement of the
Administration. 1t is hard enough to
pay the old Radical debt, most of
which is fraudulent, with low rate of
interest, but when it comes to paying it
all with an increased rate of interest, to
the benefit of no one except the bloated
bondhoders, it is simply outrageous.
Then there are those two enormous
and shameful grabs-the McEnery laud
grab and the School fund : "ab.
Again, McEnery's persoGalism and
political bargains do nothing more
than to build up a McEnery party to
the detriment of the Democratic party;
it places McEnery's personal interest
above his party's interest. Give one
man as much power as the Governor of
his State has and if he uses that power
in making trades and combinations he
can easily obtain a personal following
GlIdO VIII ot SLoI htlIutEy HAS
done this. He tells all influential man
Carry for me your own parish and you
shall control the patronage of that
parish. Then said influential man
deals out the appointments in such a
manner as to get a following from
every ward and the McEnerv men then
call this standing by your frieDds.'
Thus has developed a condition of
affairs that has enabled politicians,
backed by money and patronage to
control the State in defiance to the will
of the great majority of our people.
Now the main question is:
Who can overthrow this state of
things and redeem the State?
He must be a man of honesty, cour-
age, and patriotism, ability, a staunch
Democrat, and most important of all.
he must be available.
Since last campaign we have dis
cussed this question with various men
of prominence on the peoples side, as
to who was the most available man to
rid the State of "ring" rule. Mon
cure, Cunningham, Jett'ries, Blanchard,
Nichols and others, were discussed. 1t
is conceded by all that any one of
these men would make a good and
competent Governor, but the point on
VI luSstloI Hlugeu was
lChich one IS most drdilableo They all
represent the same issue and are OBJ
posed to the "ring" now dominating
the State.
Nichols was not popular with the
politicians because he has head of his
own and cannot be influenced by any
OF them, but the cry for him was so
strong by the masses that it became
clear that the correct answer to the
great question was: Nichols is most
available.
The Observation-Disclosures could
easily have won before but for lack of
organization and an understanding, It
was decided to profit by past expert
ence and present fhis time to tie enc
my an organized opposition.
This has been done. Nichols comes
before the people, of the people and for
the people. His enemies are disarmed
by his spotless record and fail to bring
aught against him.
But what about the use of Moncure's
name as a candidate? 1t amounts to
very little. Moncure is as strong
against the McEnery ring as is Nichols,
and had it been thought by the people
that he was most available he would
now be our candidate. His name is not
ihOutiouCu db Ills OWL HOu0. lie mas |
some newspaper support it is true. !
When an editor wants to occupy neu-
trail grounds and stand in position to |
drop on the winning side, Moncure is a |
man for him to support. An |
editor with ring tendencies, but with |
anti-ring constituents, can very easily |
support Moncure without antagonizing
seriously either side. An editor who |
has Nichols tendencies, may support
Moncure if he thinks he can help the |
Nlcholls cause by SO doing. Nearly all |
OF the newspapers that are now sup
porting MoDcure are in one or the other
OF the above predicaments.
We Rad about as soon see Moncure
Governor as Nichols, but we know |
that " in unity there is strength" and it |
will not do to leave gap through which
delegates from Nichols parishes will |
go to the convention for Moncure first |
and McEnery second. We would rot
mind having our parish instructed for |
Moncure first and Nichols second, as |
this would be practically for Nichols. |
But under the circumstances we depre-
cate the use of Judge Moncure's name
IN this connection as it will have a
tendency to weaken Nichols and nav
JeOpardiZe the DrinciDles which .Tudpe |